Forgotten
by Capricious Cirsium
Summary: When Lily returns from school she makes a scary discovery. Nobody remembers her. Not even her parents. She rents a room in her hometown and takes on a summer job where she encounters a familiar face. Can she make him remember her?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction using some of J.K. Rowling's characters from the Harry Potter series together with a few of my own creation (the ones you don't recognize).

This is my second fanfiction. I haven't abandoned "Our Obsessions" but I probably won't post any new chapters to that story for a while.

**Chapter 1: The Surrealistic Clock**

"Thump!" Lily landed hard, her foot pressed against the bluish asphalt. In one marble hand she clasped a leather bound book and in the other a brass scale. She took a few steps out on the platform, surprised that it could be so bright despite lacking a natural source of light. A stout lady approached as if she expected to be able to walk through Lily. Why did people insist on doing that? It took Lily a second to realize she was in the way and yet another to move. When she spun on her heel she felt something heavy bump into her.

"Ouch!" Loud laughter came from a quartet of boys huddled together conspicuously. Soon she had the attention of everyone within a perimeter of 10 meters.

Apparently her levitated trunk hadn't expected her swift half turn and had bumped into her. It stung where the trunk had hit her. Lily bent down and examined her irritated right ankle; it burnt as it shifted to a deep red colour. Next to her feet lay some of her underwear spread out, the clean plain white stood out against the dark ground. A colour complementing her new bruise was now painted across Lily's despairing face as she spotted her panties on the ground. In one rapid movement she dropped her book and collected all her clothes and propped them back into the crammed trunk.

She wished Potter and his gang hadn't seen her. The past three years Potter had been on a successful campaign labelling her clumsy. Lily did not consider herself clumsier than average but the quidditch hero's words were practically law at their school. Her hopeless protests had done no good when faced with Potters accusations. Over the years he had called her various things, including prude (which was somewhat accurate) and a teacher's pet. Other times he had just messed with her, stating that her neurotic nature made her the perfect victim. But she hadn't minded up to just recently. It had been when she lost her best friend to the dark arts that she realized how dependent she had been on that one friend. Not that she wasn't able to get new friends but the rumours Potter had been spreading about her had worked as an impairing force in her attempts to get closer to the other Gryffindor girls.

So now she was pretty much on her own. But she didn't mind all that much. She had a loving family (Petunia loved her deep down she was sure) and she was acing the academic part of her life. But of course, her social life at Hogwarts wasn't great which sadly made a good basis for being bullied.

Lily hid behind her long hair as always, forming curtains around her face, avoiding eye-contact and pretending that no one had seen her or her underwear. She started moving towards the exit but remembered her book just in time. Lily felt a strange adrenaline rush as she realized how close it had been that her diary was left behind for the likes of Potter to read. She picked it up and wiped off some dust.

Her eyes swept the room. There was no sign of her parents. Potter was still standing on the very same spot he had before, saying goodbye to his friends. Students were leaving now, grabbing hold of their parents anxious to get home. Where were Mr and Mrs Evans? They were usually very punctual people.

Lily took her heavy trunk and sat down on a bench. She noticed that across the platform someone else was waiting too. It was astonishing how much a person could change over so little time. Severus Snape still looked the same: unkempt hair and old mismatched clothes, but he sported a brand new demeanor. His eyes had once had a softness to them, like smudged charcoal but nowadays they were like cold and distant. His body language was different too; his shoulders so high up that one would think he walked around in constant fear of attack. Poor Severus, he had thrown himself into such dark a territory. There was a certain arrogance that had always been there but it wasnow more prominent than ever.

Lily wasn't surprised he was left waiting. His mother was always late, if she showed up at all, that was. Snape never looked at Lily during the half hour they sat in silence. His new demanding eyes refused to meet hers. When he left Lily was all alone.

Lily looked at the big clock above the passage to platform nine and three quarters. It had long old fashioned hands and reminded Lily of surrealist paintings she had once seen on an exhibition here in London with her dad. The paintings had stirred the then seven year old girl's imagination profoundly. Little had she known then that just four years later she would be declared a witch and wield all sorts of magic.

Perhaps her parents had been waiting all this time outside, on the Muggle station or in the parking lot? She didn't quite believe it but she was tired of waiting and her bottom was sore after sitting on the bench all that time. She collected her bags and walked towards the passage. The desolate platform was creepy and she shrunk a bit while walking. She had a strange feeling she was being observed. With her left foot first she took one determined step into the passage. When she was younger she had always hesitated a bit, but it didn't feel remotely intimidating anymore.

King's cross had a serene feel to it this time of day. She looked for her parents but they weren't there either. Strange, Lily thought. She just hoped they hadn't forgotten the date. But it wouldn't be anything like them. Lily pushed the glass door open. She sighed; they weren't in the parking lot either. They were almost two hours late now!

The sky was a mild pink laced with cotton candy but since it was summer it wouldn't get quite dark any time soon. Lily walked down the rows of cars an extra time, just to make sure her parents' Volvo wasn't lurking there. A sudden but powerful wind left Lily frozen to the bone. She stopped and went through her things to find something to keep her warm while she waited. There weren't a lot of clothes aside from the Hogwarts school uniforms but she found a thin navy blue jacket. That would do the trick. Under the jacket lay a hidden stash of galleons and sickles. She had put them in a see-through red organza bag; her mother always sent her those filled with sweets or a piece of jewellery. She placed the bag safely inside the front pocket of her jeans.

Lily checked the clock that governed the parking lot. It was well past dinnertime. Her stomach growled. She had eaten a steady breakfast and indulged in quite a few sweets on the train but Lily couldn't control her hunger. Her wizarding money wouldn't do, but she could change them to pounds in the Leaky Cauldron, given she could find her way to there. Lily's tendency to get lost was notorious. The first of her Hogwarts years she had stuck like glue to her fellow Gryffindors but she still had pretty unfavourable statistics that would undoubtedly rule out a career as an explorer.

"Okay" Lily said to herself "The Leaky Cauldron can't be that far away" She walked slowly, secretly excited about being alone in London. Her parents would normally _never_ let her go anywhere alone, least of all London. She had begged them to let her go to Hogwarts and they had agreed but she knew that they weren't all pleased by having her so far away. Gee, they really needed to let go of control sometimes. She stopped to look around at Tottenham Court Road; she had to be pretty close now because she started to recognize the place. She walked past several cute shops, ones she wanted to enter now that she was free to decide herself. Usually Petunia dragged her along to the big fashion stores. Mr and Mrs Evans in turn would always take them to Harrods even though it was way too expensive for them. It's a must see Mrs Evans would say and scan the store with her husband to find the cheapest thing to buy, mostly to get a carrier bag with the Harrods's logo.

When Lily finally arrived at Charing Cross Road, a miracle in itself, she was all drained from the exercise and the heavy luggage and her blood sugar was dangerously low. There disguised as an old shop was the entrance to the Diagon Alley and almost unrestricted use of magic. When Lily entered she was embraced by the warmth radiating from a huge fireplace. The ambiance in the room was drowsy but welcoming. She looked around but found no one she knew from school. On high stools sat five bulky wizards and witches, the regulars. From one of the corners she heard the loud and unashamed laughter of the drunk.

Lily never did like pubs, drunken people scared her. She walked to the counter where the bartender Tom awaited her, watching her curiously. Sure, it was probably a strange sight, perfect prefect Lily alone in a pub at nine o'clock. Wanting nothing more than to get out of there, because she was starting to attract some unwanted attention from the laughing men in the back of the room, she changed the wizard money to muggle currency. She had originally planned to eat there too as the food was good and this was one of the places her parents might look for her in, but she thought it best to leave as fast as possible. Tom was a kind man and he didn't mind her changing the money without her even buying something. Lily pocketed the money, it wasn't a lot but it would more than do for a dinner.

She sighed as she lifted her trunk again, into which she had successfully packed her book and the scale. She exited and the rusty doorbell's shrill tone rang through the street. Once she was back out on Charing Cross Road she realized that the pretty day had transformed into evening, rendering the streets mysterious and shadowy. She heard the doorbell ring a second time. Someone must have exited just after her. A low pitched voice said goodnight to it's drinking buddies. She walked faster and listened closely while trying to seem unaffected. The person started walking in her direction. Lily's heart started racing. Lily rounded the corner and started half-running. Now the footsteps were more intense. The person had started running as well. Lily spotted a family dining place and ran in, her eyes teary and her heartbeat erratic.

A waitress in a peach outfit looked at her interestedly. Lily let out her breath which she had held during those last terrifying seconds. She became at once conscious of how odd she looked, panting with red eyes and a big trunk in her hand. She must look like some runaway kid.

"Hello dear, can I help you?" The waitress didn't look much older than Lily but her self-satisfied smirk made it clear she thought Lily a mere child. Why would people always treat her like that? As if she had no own will, a helpless girl, even though she had turned seventeen this spring.

"Yes please, I'd like to eat here" The waitress seemed amused. Lily mentally slapped herself; of course she wanted to eat here.

"If you just follow me and I'll find a table for you" The waitress led her to the back of the restaurant, walking past a family of four and two women whispering in confidence shrouded by multiple layers of scarfs.

"I'll bring you the menu right away" The redheaded waitress said in a sickly sweet tone. Lily examined her as she left. The waitress had curly locks of dyed red hair, in a shade that immediately stood out as unnatural even beside Lily's unusually intense red hair. Lily made herself comfortable in the peach coloured booth. The velvet clad sofa was cosy and she felt safe. She was content that she didn't have a window view or else she wouldn't stop thinking of being followed. London was scary at night, especially for a young woman. She decided on the house's special offer, a deluxe burger with chips and a dessert consisting of a sundae with hot cloudberry jam. She ate in no time and when she had finished she remembered her hopeless situation. Her parents would be so angry with her for frightening them even though it was hardly Lily's fault. At this point she assumed that either the car had broken or they had forgotten the date.

The waitress appeared again with her notebook. Lily paid for herself and asked for the restroom. The waitress pointed her beautifully manicured finger to a door near the counter. After a minute of contemplation Lily left the trunk on her seat, who'd want to steal humbug textbooks anyway?

The restroom was very neat, something Lily hadn't expected. She was always very suspicious of toilets outside of home, but this one was perfectly fine. The soap had a lovely melon scent. She stared at her reflection in the small mirror. She didn't look too bad, her hair was wild but her face clean. On her way out she asked another waitress if she could use the telephone to call her parents. This waitress gave Lily's waitress a meaning glance and mouthed something Lily made out to be "Runaways". She then turned to Lily smiling.

"No I'm sorry. It hasn't worked for a week." The waitress walked behind the counter. "But there's a telephone box just down the street"

"Alright. Thanks." Lily shivered just thinking about returning outside.

"No problem dear. Welcome back!"

The red telephone box was easy to find even in the dark. Lily jammed herself and the trunk into it and dialled the number home. No one answered immediately. While she stood there and waited she imagined Petunia picking up the phone. Petunia would ask her what it was all about and Lily would tell her that their parents hadn't shown up. Petunia would laugh and say that they sat in the living room watching the news and that she had better get home on her own. Then Mrs Evans would snatch the phone and tell her why they really hadn't shown up.

Then someone finally answered:

"Hello?" A gruff male voice said.

"Dad?" Lily asked unsure.

"What? Who is this?" The voice seemed angry and impatient.

"I'm sorry. I must have called the wrong number. Sorry" Then the person hung up on her. Lily dug in her pocket for another coin. She dialled the number slowly and carefully. This time around someone answered right away.

"Hello, it's Lily"

"It's you again!"

"Is this the-" The person hung up on her again.

That was really weird. Lily was sure she had the right number. They had always had that number and she had called it a thousand times. Lily opened the door and sat down on her trunk on the pavement. Things looked pretty bad right now. Lily summed it up for herself: "So first my parents don't show up, then the number's wrong, and now it's close to midnight and I'm on the streets of London. Alone…" This was going to be an interesting night and it had only begun…

Author's note:

What did you think? In the next chapter she'll realize more what's going on.


	2. Chapter 2

There will be some time and space jumps in this chapter but I think it'll be clear. I'm sorry I've taken so long time. I've been busy with my summer job and celebrating Midsummer (and a bit lazy as well). I think I wrote in the last chapter that Lily was seventeen, but she will still use magic sparingly as she is unused to being off age.

**Chapter 2: Mill Road 9, Cokeworth**

Andy Sikes let out a big yawn. He worked as an agent for the ministry, though the job was not as fancy as the title suggested. Mr Sikes and his well famous struggles on the career ladder had reached an impasse. He had a low position in the hierarchy so he got simple tasks accordingly; but because his missions were so easy he had no chance of impressing his superiors and getting promoted. It was to say the least frustrating for someone so ambitious as Andy Sikes.

To make things worse his insufferable boss was also his girlfriend's dad, who happened to dislike him. The feeling was however mutual. He loved his girlfriend Patricia, but he felt that his soon to be father-in-law was a bit too much to handle. Mr Huckle had assigned him the disappearance of a muggleborn Hogwarts student the 17th of June. The girl had been missing 3 full days now and there had been no signs of her whatsoever. Andy hated these cases. They were usually dead ends. Either the girl showed up by her own making or she didn't. There was no way of knowing where she could have gone. She could have disapparated anywhere, or committed suicide or whatever. This was a seventeen year old girl after all, weren't they're all emotionally unstable and stuff?

Tough luck for himself though, landing him yet another one of those cases. He who had had some hopes of applying to the position left vacant by Mrs Dean. The phone rang and awoke him from his reverie. In it spoke the gentle voice belonging to his colleague Damien. Andy listened carefully to what Damien had to say.

"Shit!" Andy slammed the phone back and raced out of the room. He stopped once he had reached the coffee machine. Andy snatched a copy of the prophet lying unattended on the coffee table. Once he had returned to his office he unfolded it and let out a long rhythmic chant consisting of his favourite swearing. On pages 11-14 was a big coverage of Lily Evans's disappearance. Great, just what he needed right now. He could literally see his chances of promotion dance out of the window. What an awful day to be him, he thought.

* * *

Lily's body was numb. She had covered herself in her winter cloak to chase away the night's cold but to little avail. Her legs had fallen asleep about half an hour ago. She sat with her eyes open and awaited dusk. It got harder and harder every second and her eyelids threatened to close themselves leaving her unguarded to the night. Her fingers were locked in a firm grasp holding the woolen fabric of her cloak tightly closed. She could hear someone at a distance. It was surprising how much activity there was during the night, she had thought only cats were awake at this late hour. After this night's adventure she would have to adjust that to only cats and nocturnal drunks. Lily was glad no one had stopped to talk to her, although several had been about to. Luckily she could pull off a face that would scare off people easily. After having been bullied for so long she had perfected the art. In any case she was off age now and could perform a curse on whoever she wanted.

Lily hugged her legs and held them close to her stiff body. She could see the crepuscular rays kindle the night sky against the sharp silhouette of London. It was a nice sight but Lily couldn't appreciate its beauty right now. She wanted home.

Why was she such a failure at apparition? She could perform every spell, brew every potion and she was even a decent flyer. Okay, that last bit was a lie, she was terrified of flying.

"Urgh!" Lily stood up and her legs awoke painfully. She started pacing around a bit in frustration. What kind of a sick joke was this?! She felt angry, desperate tears line her cheeks. She hated this. She had no control over the situation and it unnerved her. What if her parents weren't looking for her? What if they didn't care?

Suddenly the street was lit up and Lily could see nothing through her squinting eyes but white light. Lily shied away from the street and held up an arm protectively. The light approached fast. She fumbled for her wand and once she got hold off it, aimed at the source of the light. It was a giant vehicle of some sort. Lily squinted. A triple-decker bus?

The bus stopped and the door swung open to a much dazzled Lily. A dark figure on the steps started talking:

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. I'm Lionel Clarke and I'll be your conductor this evening" It took a while for Lily to make sense of it all. She had heard of this bus before.

"Well, what are you waiting for? You called for us, didn't you?" The conductor asked.

"Called for you? I don't understand"

"You held out your wand" He stepped down on the pavement.

"Oh, that's right" Lily smiled tentatively. She lifted her trunk but Lionel took it out of her hand.

"Here, let me deal with that. You go in and have a seat"

Lily stepped on to the bus, baffled by the series of events that had just taken place. The driver nodded to her as she walked by. There weren't regular seats, instead there were hospital like beds squeezed in everywhere possible in no particular order. Lily sat down at the first behind the driver. Further down sat a group of teenagers Lily immediately recognized. Three boys and two girls, they were most popular Slytherins in her year. Lily's accidentally looked straight into the eyes of Mulciber and he flashed her a quizzical look. Lily turned her head away just in time to miss the Slytherin's signature wicked smile. She was sure they were going to give her trouble. The conductor entered again and the bus started moving. Lily grabbed a hold of the bed to keep herself balanced up. Lionel, who Lily now saw was quite good looking, with soft brown curls and blemish free skin, leaned closer to her.

"Where to?" He asked. He had a pleasant country dialect.

"Cokeworth. Mill Road 9" Lily searched for her money.

"That'll be 11 sickles then, miss" He printed out a ticket from a device that looked quite similar to a Polaroid camera. "Have a pleasant ride"

The boy, who was around twenty, put away the ticket-maker and returned to sit behind the driver. He then turned to face Lily.

"So you go to Hogwarts?" Lily confirmed it with a tired nod.

"What house are you in?" His intense gaze made Lily feel a bit awkward. She wasn't used to attention from a stranger like this. Lily hoped that Lionel's presence might keep the Slytherins at a distance.

"I'm in Gryffindor" He seemed pleased.

"Just what I thought. I was a Hufflepuff. Not the cleverest house but we sure had the best parties" He winked at her.

"Ehm, Lionel, when do we arrive in Cokeworth?"

"It'll just be a minute" He looked as if he was to continue but Lily didn't pay him any more attention. Instead she was engrossed with the scenery visible in a gap between two drawn curtains. She watched as forests, houses and mountains passed by in a multi-coloured blur. Lily was starting to feel a bit nauseated when the bus stopped abruptly. Lionel stood up.

"Church Lane 14, Northhampton" Cordelia Gibbon appeared from the back of the bus. When she walked past Lily she didn't say anything, which was a pleasant surprise to Lily. Most older Slytherins would scoff at her, but Cordelia had of course always been a silent one. Lily was rather relieved that the people in the back of the bus didn't seem to mind sharing it with a Muggleborn. Usually there were loads of protests whenever one was around them. Once Cordelia had left the bus it picked up its insane speed again and Lily clung to the bed-post.

Lily soon decided that the Knight Bus was not her favourite means for transport. She instructed herself to breath in and out calmly. She knew she was about to vomit when the painful journey came to a brusque end. When the driver hit the brakes Lily was flung against the wall and fell down, her face meeting the linoleum.

"Mill Road 9, Cokesworth" Lily was lying at the conductor's feet. Lionel reached for her hand and pulled her up gently. Lily held onto a piece of furniture.

"You all right? You look a little dizzy" Lily was most certainly not all right but she felt better now that the bus had stopped at last. Lily nodded slowly but she couldn't quite focus her eyes on a specific point. She supported her shaky body against the bus.

"Ah, come here" The boy took her hand before she could make any protest and led her out of the bus. He went in again and came out with her trunk. "There you go"

"Thanks" Lily took the trunk and started looking around. The whole situation felt unreal.

"Take care!" The boy gave her one last glance and then he and the triple-decker disappeared. Lily reminded herself to be forever grateful to Lionel and that bus. She was standing just outside her house. Lily smiled, but then she realized she should probably be angry with her parents however her fatigue mollified her anger. Leaves rustled to her left. Lily jumped. Her neighbour Mrs Whitman stood bent brandishing a pair of scissors.

"Hello Mrs Whitman!" The woman looked up, her grey hair glistening in the morning sun.

"Hello …?" The elderly lady seemed very confused, as if trying to puzzle out who this young woman was. Now Lily wasn't very surprised as Mrs Whitman even forgot her cats' names at times. But it would be rude to remind her, Lily decided. Mrs Whitman cut off a pair of peonies and returned inside, muttering something about teenagers in general.

Lily took in the block. There was very little activity, she supposed the time of the day was responsible for that tranquility. Lily walked up to the door and produced the key from her pocket. Lily turned it clockwise; nothing happened. Lily felt the door. It was locked still. So she turned the key counter clockwise and grabbed the handle. With all her might she pushed the door, but it would not open. Lily stood perplexed.

"Enough!" Lily thought. She rang the doorbell over and over again and then resorted to banging on the door as loud as she could.

"Will you stop that!" Mrs Whitman cried from her open kitchen window. "They're not at home" She gave Lily a sour glare. Lily ignored her and waited until she had moved away from the window, then she sneaked to the backside of the house. Her shoes got covered in fresh dirt as she skipped through the beds of tulip.

"Finally something working my way" Lily thought looking at her window which was kindly left ajar. She climbed up the veranda fence and from there she could push her window fully open. She then put one leg through the window and swung herself in. What she saw was the most disturbing yet; her bedroom had undergone a transformation. Lily looked around her with disbelief. Her books had been replaced with photos of Petunia and her fiancée Vernon. On her desk lay folders and papers in neat piles. The walls, the rug and the bed sheets were all in varying nuances of beige. Lily peered into her old drawer. It was full of men's underwear. "What?" Lily was positively freaked out. The next was filled with nicely folded dress pants. Lily continued through the house opening door after door, feeling like Alice in Wonderland. Petunia's room looked the same, as did her parents. Lily stopped in the living room. The big picture of them all now only contained three people.

Lily gasped and sat down on the floor. The whole world started spinning. Every single bad emotion she had felt the last 24 hours came back, humiliation, fear, abandonment, nausea and confusion. She cried helplessly until she finally had no more to give. She brushed away the tears and sat on the couch. It had been in the living room, sitting on this couch professor McGonagall had told her that she was a witch. That seemed like such a long time ago.

Lily began hearing voices from outside. She raised herself and walked out to meet them. When Petunia opened the door Lily threw herself around her neck.

"Tuney!" Lily hugged her sister tightly. "Finally, you have no idea how much I've missed you. I'm so glad you're here, I've waited and waited and you didn't come meet me but it's okay, I took the bus and…" Lily trailed off when she saw Petunia's face. She let go of the girl and stepped back. Her dad stepped forward.

"Who are you?" He stared her in the eyes dead serious. Lily looked for a secret smile in his face but she saw no such thing. Instead she found surprise and concern.

"It's me, _Lily_!" She paused, no recognition. "Your daughter"

It was her mother who spoke next. "We only have one daughter" She motioned at the puzzled girl standing next to Lily. "Petunia"

"Don't you remember me?" Lily's voice was weak now, pleading. She could feel new tears form in her eyes. Her throat started aching.

"I'm sorry no, is there something we could do for you?" Mr Evans asked kindly. He turned to his wife. "Rose, will you put on some tea, please?" Mrs Evans and Petunia walked into the kitchen. Petunia gaped at her when she walked past Lily.

Mr Evans and Lily were left facing each other. Suddenly Lily struggled to breathe. She started hyperventilating. Mr Evans reached out his hand, his eyes filled with sincere concern. Lily panicked. She pushed past him and ran out of the door. After 20 meters, at the end of the street she stopped, gasping for air. She saw Mr Evans still observing her from the lawn. She couldn't return there, ever. She knew that. She started walking without any thought as to where she was going. Her heart pounded, and she hadn't quite caught her breath. Small and painful hiccoughs made her stop. Then she realized where her legs had brought her.

Author's note:

Not a lot happened in this chapter but now she's in Cokeworth. I expect she'll meet a certain black-haired boy in the next chapter.

By the way, thanks for all the reviews :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Erased**

Severus Snape sat at the kitchen table. Across from him sat his mother, her head resting on her palm. From her onyx eyes ran creases forming ripples on the parchment skin. Mrs. Snape was only thirty-seven but she was already an old woman. Her husband, Severus' Muggle father Tobias, hadn't shown up yesterday. So much the better, thought Severus, as he relished in the comfortable silence at the table. No fights, no drama, just him and mum.

"Severus, the window" His mother said curtly. Severus looked up. He yawned and walked over to the window to let a brown owl in. The owl dropped a rolled up copy of the Prophet and stretched out his leg.

"Mum, where's the money?"

"Look in the cookie jar" Severus found the jar in the cupboard. Only crumbles left.

"Nope"

"Go look in your father's room" Actually, the bigger of the two bedrooms was both Eileen's and Tobias's but no one ever acknowledged that it was just as much Mrs Snape's room as it was her husband, much like everything else in the house. Severus entered the room which was by far the most neat despite the thin layer of dust that covered all horizontal surfaces. He looked around in the room. His dad wasn't very careful with money and one could usually find small amounts all over the house. It was this money that kept Severus from going hungry certain days. He would collect and stash as much as he could and give it to his mother who was a far wiser spender. Severus stepped over a pile of clothes and his eyes fell on a pair of inside-out trousers sloppily thrown on the floor. He searched the pockets. Success! Tobias's wallet. There wasn't an awful lot left but Severus took out a few coins for the bird and a note for later.

The bird awaited him impatiently.

"There you go" The bird flew off after having given Severus a look he could best describe as a glare. He sat down and tasted the cheap, insipid tea, supposedly jasmine. His mother had already begun reading. Her eyebrows drew close together creating another series of wrinkles across her face.

"Severus, isn't this the girl from town?" She nodded at the spread she was reading. In a split-second Severus had grabbed the paper from her hands. Taking up almost a full page was a big photo of Lily Evans. The photo had been taken during a Slug club party last year, Severus remembered. She had ignored him, but he hadn't been able to help himself staring at her all night. Lily had been so beautiful in her pale green dress, slightly shy and always on the verge of a blush. She was, as his mother had described her that time they had been at his place, a Muggle angel.

His heart froze as he read the headline:

"Hogwarts Student Missing-Never Came Home from the Train"

* * *

Lily stood outside the low wooden fence separating the playing ground from the rest of Cokeworth. She was calm and still, merely observing the sandy island where everything had once begun. There she had been told that she was a witch. There she had learnt about Hogwarts for the first time. There she had done magic. Above all stood this place out in her memory as the stage where the very first meeting with that peculiar boy, Severus Snape, had taken place.

Lily's heart ached. She supposed that too had been erased. Her whole identity, her seventeen years on earth swept away in a few seconds of time. She was no longer Lily Evans of Cokeworth, a witch. Now all she was was a lone teenager facing a long summer with an angrily growling stomach. Lily was appreciative of her hunger though, as it made her act.

After one last, lingering glance at the swings she started walking. She needed to get to the center of the town. Cokeworth was ever changing in its appearance. The cute houses once covered in feathery snow were now embedded in poppies and snapdragons. It only took four minutes to reach the heart of the town, a square with lovely flower arrangements and a small fountain. It smelled that unique way only fountain water could, a bit dirty almost. Lily walked to the other side keeping her eyes open for restaurants. She stumbled past a charming garn store, a small newspaper stand and an ice cream parlor with an outside serving. She had to force her gaze away from the tray of mouth-watering sundaes when she dragged herself past that last place-she hadn't had any breakfast and now the sun stood high on the cerulean sky.

Her blood sugar couldn't be any lower or else she would fall into coma. Lily took right and her feet found a smaller road with uneven paving. She could smell roasted duck from an open door. Lily couldn't resist entering the Tired Miller's pub. She had to walk down a few steps to get inside the restaurant. It was chilly inside and the light was dim. It reminded her of a restaurant she had been to with her family in Berlin. Lily noticed how mud had crawled in between the stones under her feet but the place seemed to have good standards otherwise.

The plump barman looked up and gave her a toothy grin. Lily stepped forward.

"Welcome to Tired Miller, the menu is on the wall" he gestured to his right "today's dish is roasted duck with buttered green beans and baked potatoes"

"That sounds good, I'll have that please" Lily said without hesitation.

"It'll be ready in a minute, you can take a seat over there" Lily crossed the room and sat down on the couch. She loved when they didn't just have chairs and she would always take a seat on the couch. Or she used to. Lily rested her head against the cold wall. It was all so confusing.

A good fifteen minutes later a waiter appeared with her meal. It was the biggest plate Lily had ever seen. Every inch of it was covered with beans or pepper sauce, not that Lily minded. She poured down her coke in almost one gulp. Thirty minutes of pure delight later she slunk down. She had to resist the urge to pat her belly contently. Where had the waiter disappeared to?

Lily stared at the counter. The skinny waiter pushed the door open and for a short moment she saw something nothing could have prepared her for: Severus Snape in an apron. On top of that his hair was pulled up in a ponytail. Lily started giggling uncontrollably; the waiter stared at her with his black lines of eyebrows arched.

"Was it good?" He asked.

"Was what good?" Lily answered stupidly. The door had closed so she turned to face the waiter. His cheeks were hollow, his eyes vacant. Lily guessed he was a Halloween person, rather than Christmas.

"Your lunch, roasted duck?"

"Oh, yes very tasty" Lily answered absentmindedly, and then with sudden intent interest she met his pale eyes. "Does a Severus work here?"

"Yeah, Snape. He's a dish boy. Strange lad" He looked at Lily as if he were warning her. Lily got an odd sense of déjà vu from when Petunia had told her where Severus lived. Petunia had not cared much for his address. But then Lily had gotten to know him and he had turned into her best friend. If there was somebody that could help her out of this mess, that somebody was Snape. He was the only other magical being in the area anyway.

"Here's your bill" Lily examined it and reached inside her pocket. Uh-uh. Alarm spread through her body and she reddened while looking through her the other front pocket.

"Give me a second will you" Nothing in the back pockets either. Where had she put it? In her trunk of course!

"I put it in my bag" She looked around her. She must have left it at her house. Oh that's right, she had put it down when she was climbing through her window.

"This is kind of embarrassing" His expression made Lily feel worse. "I've left it in my bag, which I forgot at home…" She realized how conspicuous that sounded; he probably thought she was trying to eat for free.

"Well then, seems like we have a problem. You'll have to come and speak to the owner" He said tiredly. To Lily it seemed like the guy had only two emotions which he alternated between: boredom and annoyance.

He watched her as she stood up and guided her in through multiple swinging doors. It did not seem necessary for him to watch her like a watchdog and she felt like the whole room was eying her. Lily shrugged off the looks and kept an eye out for Severus instead. When the waiter abruptly stopped Lily didn't quite follow. Her nose hurt when she bumped into the waiter's bony back. Maybe Potter was right after all, Lily thought, she was a bit clumsy.

They had made a halt outside a door with a sign reading: Mr. Lesley, in pretty gold lettering. He opened and let her in first. She thought he was being a little too serious about this-it wasn't as if she was going to run away.

"Hello Mr. Lesley"

"Good afternoon Nigel"

"We have a little problem here. Miss ?"

"Evans" Lily filled in.

"Miss Evans has forgotten her wallet it seems like"

"Oh that wasn't good. We'll have to figure something out then. You may leave Nigel"

"Here's what she owes" Nigel handed Mr. Lesley the bill. The older man took off his glasses and brought it close to his eyes.

"Sit down Miss ?" The chair made an awful scraping noise as she pulled it out.

"Miss Evans" Lily repeated. An awkward silence followed. She didn't like this, not one bit. Then the owner broke the silence with a polite question.

"Do you by any chance need a job?"

Lily's eyes grew round.

"I'm sorry? You want to hire me?" Lily exclaimed incredulously. She hadn't exactly made the best impression in her opinion.

"Yes. We're short of a waitress this summer and you need to pay this bill" Mr. Lesley smiled kindly. Lily got the feeling he was taking pity on her.

"I've got the money; I just left it at home. I… can go get it right now" Lily said sheepishly. She knew how stupid her words sounded.

"That won't be necessary if you accept" Lily thought about. She would need money until she could make contact with professor Dumbledore or something. If Severus was working here too then she could talk to him and make him remember her. Lily just hoped that was how it worked.

"I would like to work here… Please" Smiling still, he took out a form from a drawer.

"Read and sign in the little box" Lily read it. She would work mornings, from seven to four with one hour lunch. Lily scratched down her signature.

"Thank you!" He nodded.

"Today's lunch will be deducted from your first wage, you'll be paid weekly" Lily smiled, it was perfect. She reckoned she wouldn't survive on what she had otherwise. Then it hit her, she was actually homeless.

"Do you rent out rooms here?" Lily asked hopefully ignoring the growing sense of panic inside of her.

"We have a few but they're all booked for the week, I'm afraid. If you need somewhere to stay there's a lady who rents out rooms not too far from here"

"Really?"

"A Mrs. Senapati, she lives down on Juniper Street. A red brick house with a balcony"

* * *

Andy Sikes was high that night, high on the success story that was his life. It had been a good day that day. He had awoken early, chirpy as a bird. For breakfast he had fried his eggs to perfection; the yolks hadn't spilt and they had tasted divine. He had gone to job and pretended to work on solving the case of the oh so mysterious disappearance of a girl (he was sick of it already), while really trying to solve his Rubik's cube once and for all.

Then, right before lunch (bloody steak and garlic sauce), Damien had rushed in to tell him that he had just found out that Andy was going to get promoted. Andy was overjoyed; he felt he very much deserved it after having waited on Mr. Huckle ever since he first came there.

So his life had taken an even better direction. It was very important to be successful in life he had been told and the nature of success in detail could only be determined by the public's scrutiny. Never had it occurred to him that the word could have varying meanings, and even if he had been told so he wouldn't have thought much of it. He was successful and that was the important part. It made him untouchable. For Andy narcissism was his shield to criticism and disappointment in life and sucking up to a few superiors was a reasonably small price to pay for a much desired label.

Nothing could ruin his mood. The newspaper as well as he seemed to overlook that he had forgotten his file on Lily Evans in his suitcase at work.

Author's note:

I know it's been a while but I had no inspiration. I really love that some have taken the time to review, each review is much appreciated. I have a little problem you see I don't really have a clue what things cost in the UK and how much a £ is worth. So I'll have to be very vague when it comes to money and prices. Where I'm from you can have money in plural by the way, one money-several monies ;)

I'm not so pleased with this chapter and it kind of kept me from writing, but I decided I need to post it so I can start fresh on the next one.

There's been a lot of food in this story, why I do not know. I'm sorry about that. Well I'm off to eat cake now!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Severus Times Two**

Golden lashes spread out in a bird's tail pattern over the thick red sky. The morning sun was as pretty as it was powerful, engulfing the English landscape in its pastel shroud.

Lily had just awoken from a long night of succeeding dreams, each stranger than the previous. She had felt like Alice, caught in a strange world that knew no logic, and where Lily knew no place. She stretched out her arms with a satisfied sigh; it had been a good night's sleep regardless of the nonsensical nature of her subconscious. She sat up and observed the room quietly in its rosy hue, only to find her back within the realms of the inexplicable.

The bright, gaudy wallpaper was unfamiliar, as was the shabby rug on the wooden floor. It was first when she recognized her own trunk among the alien objects she recalled the day before. How she had gone to retrieve it from the Evans garden with her heart in her boots as she walked by her family huddled together in front of the TV. And how the sweet Mrs Senapati had kindly offered her a spare bedrooms for a tempting price.

The clock radio read 05:47 but Lily wasn't tired. She probably would be later though but right now she felt fully awake. She opened her trunk and rummaged through it until she found her bathroom kit. A cold morning shower provided solace to her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. Why didn't anyone recognize her? The only reasonable explanation she could come up with was that she had hit her head hard somewhere and was now actually in a coma.

Once wrapped in towels and clad in her darling perfume (jasmine mingled with lily-of-the-valley and a note of mossy oak…) Lily sat down on the bed. What to wear? The first garments she came across were her Hogwarts uniforms and she decided that she could probably wear the pleaded skirt. Luckily there were some Muggle clothes in her trunk as well, those she had carried on to the trips to Hogsmeade and the beautiful dress she had worn the evening of the Slug Club's Christmas party. She held it up, her eyes ran over the sheer layers of chiffon. Lily recalled the night vividly although the last hours of it were a bit hazy, only lost fragments consisting of music and haphazard dialogue.

She had been entranced by the splendour of the room, the crystal chandelier, the beautiful people around her and the narcissistic thoughts she had entertained that night. The world had seemed hers and she had enjoyed it; that was until James Potter had appeared out of nowhere. He had tried to ruin her night but she hadn't let him. He had been on and on her about a dance but Lily refused; she hadn't fancied being spun right into the punch bowl.

Lily put the dress as well as the night aside. She picked up a white top to go with the black, it felt a bit classic. Lily closed the bedroom door and locked it with the key Mrs Senapati had given her. She could hear snores coming from the adjacent room. Lily guessed there was yet another inmate. Lily walked down the hall to the little kitchen area she had been shown yesterday. For every step she took the floorboards responded with a tiny creak.

With a guilty face Lily approached the cupboard; perhaps the other inmate had left something there. She could clearly see the contours of a packet of crackers. She moved a rickety stool towards the cupboard and stepped onto it. With her hand stretched out and standing on one leg she could almost reach the package.

"What are you doing?" Lily who had finally grabbed hold of the precious packet jumped around startled, her foot landed a bit too far out on the stool rocking it out of balance. The next thing she knew she was laying sprawled out on the floor with the crackers securely in her grasp. Lily held up her aching head to look for source of the disturbance. Her eyes fell on a round face peeking through the door. Lily half expected the girl to come and help her but she stayed put firmly on the threshold.

Lily pulled herself up and straightened down her shirt. Just below the hemline she could see that her knee was scraped and a few blood drops forming. She watched mesmerized as the drops grew bigger and bigger, sliding down her pale leg… A bit confused she registered the unknown girl leaping towards her.

Then, seconds later, Lily saw a broad smile, warm brown eyes and dyed black hair. She felt a warm hand streak away the hair from her face.

"You've got a problem with blood, eh?" The girl smiled down at her but Lily couldn't figure out why. She sat up with the help of another warm hand on her back. Lily nodded absent-mindedly. A rush of panic went through her brain. Work!

"What time is it?" Was she late? The silk of the purple pyjama bottom rustled as the girl stood up. Lily followed her example and raised herself to sit at the small square of a kitchen table.

"Bloody! It's 6:33, _in the morning_!"

"I've got to get to work" Lily braced herself and then glanced down at her leg again. To her surprise the small scratch was covered with a plaster and there was no trace of blood.

"I wiped the blood off, don't worry it was tiny" She gave extra power to her statement by measuring up a small distance in the air between her thumb and index. "You just overreacted"

"Thanks, ?"

"It's Moira" The girl sat down with one leg crossed over the other. Lily watched stupidly as her fluffy bunny slippers bounced in the air. She still wasn't a 100% sure she wasn't dreaming.

"I'm Lily, pleasure to meet you. Listen, I really got to get to work now" She said, all in one breath.

"Calm down a bit it's only like 6 in the morning. If you like you can borrow my bike" A bike would be great Lily reflected.

"Besides, don't you want to at least eat those first?" Moira said grinning and gestured at the crackers on the table. "Took you such a big effort"

Lily felt her cheeks redden to the dark shade of her hair. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to steal or anything" Lily lied, that had been her plan all along. Her moral code wasn't as crystal clear as it had been before her family had rejected her.

"'S not mine" Moira answered. Lily raised her eyebrow. Was there perhaps another inmate?

"It's been there like forever" Moira took the packet and started opening it with her black nails cutting like knives between the folds of plastic. Her face contorted into one of disgust and she was on her feet again. "Mould" She dropped the packet unceremoniously into the bin under the sink.

"Fancy some toasts instead?"

* * *

Severus had not slept well nor eaten much since he first learned of Lily's disappearance. Despite his attempts to remain calm and reason his way through this, his every thought seemed to sail to his childhood friend and what could have happened to her. The few hours he had slept he had been plagued by visions of Lily dead. The uncertainty was unbearable. She could pretend all she wanted that he was nothing to her, but he knew and they both felt differently. He would give up anything for her to be alive and well. The other was unthinkable.

A loud popping noise caused Severus to startle. _"Is father home?"_ Severus asked himself. He hadn't heard Tobias enter earlier. He could hear footsteps outside his room and mutterings as well. When the footsteps grew louder he could make out a few words. "Mugglescum… Filthy little… If Mistress saw me…" Severus took out his wand and pointed it towards the closed door. He watched the handle turn cautiously. Severus lowered his wand when a house-elf entered dressed in a rag.

"My master has received your letters" Severus nodded impatiently. "Master Black thinks you should visit him in London" Severus smiled; he had thought it was one of Malfoys's elves.

"I am to take you there by apparition" The elf stated somewhat reluctantly and stepped out of the room again. Severus started packing his trunk. It wasn't hard since he didn't have much to put in to start with. With pretty much all that he owned carelessly threw into it he closed it. He then walked over to the window and shut it carefully taking in the pitiable view. Severus joined the elf, who was busy making faces, by the staircase and shouted a short explanation to his mother although he half-doubted she had heard a word. Severus felt an icy touch on his left arm and how the elf's long nails sank into his skin much like a snake sinks its fangs into a prey.

* * *

Severus Snape was late for work. He hadn't been late before and he was almost certain they would make a big deal out of it. Or Nigel would anyway. His fellow colleague never failed to remind him of the universal pecking order that somehow always seemed to feature him last. He had noticed how employers seemed to hesitate when they saw him. His strange name was probably enough to put them off really. If your name was Severus and you wanted to work in a Muggle restaurant you simply _had_ to be early.

As Snape turned around the corner and entered the small space behind the restaurant he noticed a metallic green bicycle parked next to the trash bins. Great, another employee to get along with. Shrugging his shoulders he walked down the few steps to the back door.

It was chilly inside, providing a sharp contrast to the muggy summer's day in the rest of Cokeworth. Severus sighed; he could already hear Nigel's raspy voice bossing someone around in the kitchen. He took a few breaths before entering; this would be a _long_ day.

* * *

_"I look ridiculous"_ Lily grimaced at her reflection in the employee's bathroom. The outfit was okay, she was relieved to not have to wear a silly dress or anything. The cause of her profound exasperation was the silver tie draped around her neck. After ten or so attempts she still hadn't made an acceptable knot. Lily swept away a few strands loose of hair and redid her ponytail. She finished by tying the black wait apron matching her pants, in a nice bow on her back. That at least was a knot she was familiar with.

The perpetually sour waiter was in the kitchen leaning against a kitchen desk, dressed identically to Lily, except he had his tie in a perfect Windsor knot.

"Erhm, Nigel, could you show me how to tie… my tie…?" The twenty-year old lips gave a slight twitch which Lily interpreted as a smile. He took a few steps closer so that his long narrow figure was towering over her. _"Too close"_ Lily thought. Nigel grabbed the ends of the tie and started tying them. Lily could feel his coffee breath and his hands were only an inch or so from... _"Definitely too close"_ Lily drew away swiftly, thankful that she managed to keep the blush from coming. She had already been embarrassed this morning, hadn't that been enough? The ruling powers of the universe clearly did not like her. If they did she wouldn't have been in this situation to start with, Lily reasoned.

"Okay, then were all set to start your practicing session" Nigel started showing her around the restaurant with the pride of an owner, stopping now and then to make comments on what needed to be done at each place.

"As a waiter one is a cleaner, a server and a cashier all in one" He paused for effect, "sometimes the kitchen staff needs a hand and then we become kitchen helpers and sometimes…" He babbled on but lost Lily somewhere around the manifold mysteries of a mincer. She wondered how Severus would react to her. Was he still following a path irreconcilable with her own future? Was it preposterous of her to hope that he wasn't in for becoming a Death Eater? And that he would remember her?

Lily was so deeply immersed in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed the end of Nigel's rant. She followed his gaze to the doorframe, or rather to the scrawny boy standing there.

"You're late Snape, I'm afraid I'll have to report it to Mr Lesley" Nigel said a bit too joyfully, Lily thought. Severus face was unreadable, he didn't want to contribute to his superior's satisfaction. No bit disheartened Nigel left to make his complaint. Severus took another deep breath and made for the unloaded dishwasher. But his stride stopped short as he noticed the redheaded girl staring at him.

"Severus!" In a whirl of crimson he was squeezed in a big hug. He could hear himself make a silly squeal of surprise. The red head was resting on his shoulder. He untangled himself from the clingy girl immediately and withdrew a couple of steps for good measure.

"Who are you?" Lily winced; those were the innocent words that shook her all the way back to reality.

"You really have no idea, have you?" Lily's defeated eyes locked with Severus's.

"What are you even talking about? And how come you know my name?" Severus asked annoyed.

"I know lots about you" Lily said mysteriously. Severus eyed her cautiously as if she were a wildfire ready to spread. The door from the staff bathroom gave a squeak and Lily was forced to break the eye contact. A round woman hurried in.

"Hello Severus!" She looked at Lily "The new waitress?" Lily confirmed with a nod. "I'm Julie, chef of the early shift"

"I'm Lily. Nice to meet you Julie" She said but eyed Severus while she introduced herself. Still no recognition. She turned to Julie instead.

"Why are we here so early? People don't eat lunch until eleven at least" Julie chuckled. Her face had a natural flush.

"Are you from around here? I thought everybody knew about our brunch"

"It's our speciality" Nigel added upon reentering. "You" He nodded at Severus "go see Lesley"

Lily's day continued without any problems. Soon she had learned the menus by heart, when she was supposed to fetch the plates and how to avoid having to listen to Nigel's acid remarks on the low tipping guests. Lily couldn't blame them; they were lucky to only have to put up with to him for a few minutes. The lunch hour went by quickly, they were really busy and Julie offered her a meal that was just a little burnt. Lily didn't mind and ate in silence in the empty staff room. When the day was up Lily felt happier than she had in a long while, and surprisingly invigorated. The only thing she wasn't content with was that she had barely seen Severus all day. "_Speaking of which, there he is!_" Lily pushed the pedals on the green bike harder until she was alongside Severus.

"Hi Sev!" Lily giggled at the sight of Severus jumping. It felt so nice to be with someone you knew. Sort of.

"Are you a stalker or what?" He was visibly irritated for being caught off guard. _"I'm not the one spying on people behind bushes" _She thought.

"Nope, not really. But I know you all the same" Severus face was impossible to decipher. Lily had to struggle to keep her bike even with Severus walk.

"May I ask how you know me?"

"If you think hard about it I'm sure you'll know the answer" Lily answered playfully. Then she turned right and left the boy contemplating.

A/N:

Hopefully it is a bit clearer now. But not that clear ;)

It's so cool how much help I got from so many with inflation and money and stuff, and all the other reviews. Thanks for reading and reviewing:) Reviews should be considered addictive.

An innocent anachronism has been discovered in my story! I'm sorry, a Rubik's cube in Andy's hands is not realistic in the UK 1977...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Gaining His Trust**

"Welcome" Regulus put away his favourite book on ancient Quidditch and straightened himself up in the sienna couch. There were no windows in the old family library, instead the small square was lit by a table lamp. On the shelves were countless of tomes stacked neatly in row after another and there was an accompanying smell of dust and yellowing paper. Regulus looked much older in the dim artificial light with big shadows emphasizing his sharp cheekbones. Severus thought that each time they saw each other the resemblance between the Black brothers grew bigger.

"Thanks…" Severus looked around just to make sure they were alone. He dreaded the thought of running into Sirius Black. Or Black's friends for that matter. "Listen, I really appreciate this. I knew you would understand"

"Of course" The younger boy nodded earnestly. "Come on, I'll show you around" Severus followed, and although he couldn't share his guide's enthusiasm due to the circumstances, he was in complete awe of his surroundings. The glory and grandeur of Pure-blood living was unbelievable.

"So, are you home alone?" Severus said a bit surprised that they had not yet run into somebody. He had expected to see at least one of their cousins, although he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because they so clearly fitted in, it felt like Bellatrix could jump out of one of the dark corners any minute.

"Yup, it's only me and Kreacher." Severus turned his attention back to his host, a little confused. When Regulus saw the puzzled expression on his friend's face he added: "The house elf that brought you here"

"Where are your parents?" Severus felt a bit rude but he was unsure how they would react to his blood status, and he felt like they could become obstacles to his plan.

"In Hungary, visiting friends" Regulus said indifferent. "My brother, as you probably know, stays with the blood traitor Potter". Now that was something he didn't know, it seemed things were working in his favour.

* * *

"_Utterly Worthless!_ Just like your mother!" Severus slammed the door behind him. With a few seconds of angry high paced walking he managed to put enough distance between him and his house for the yelling to fade. Having a work to disappear to everyday was a blessing, and he didn't mind the money either. Last year he had worked as well, at the ironmonger's. He had been able to buy new robes for the first time in his life. His mother had always bought him cheap ones, already ragged and torn. It felt great to finally be able to buy something of decent quality, as well as a few things he didn't desperately need, like that beautiful Bali bird-of-paradise quill.

Severus enjoyed walking to work. It was a fairly short distance and it gave him time to calm down and prepare either for hard work or his father's hot temper. It was a warm summer's day, just like the day before, but a little bit windy. They had said in the newspaper that the time of thunderstorms was rapidly approaching.

A brief wind hurled at him and grabbed bits of papers and leaves to join in an air display, lasting only seconds. When the wind had passed by, Severus noticed how a subtle smell of flowers had somehow found its way into Spinner's end. He was so busy with making out the components of this scent that he didn't see to Lily silently approaching on her borrowed bike.

"Good morning!" Lily said briskly when she was just behind him. Severus instantly jumped back a good meter.

"Gah! You can't do that to people" Lily smiled. "It's not funny! I could have hit you, you know" Severus added muttering and turned his gaze to the row of run-down houses. He looked a bit odd in the strong sunlight with his grey shirt buttoned up to just under his chin.

"Sorry Sev"

"Why did you call me that?" He stared at her intently. Lily had almost forgotten how intense his black eyes could be.

"Still haven't figured it out, huh?" Severus stopped to wait for her as she descended the bike.

"Figured what out?"

"How I know you"

"You don't. You knowing my name and claiming you know lots about me don't really prove you do" He said thoughtfully.

"Well I also know where you live. I know that your parents' names are Eileen and Tobias. I know you love reading and…" Lily stopped. How well did she know her best friend? She didn't want to bring up Hogwarts just yet; it would probably make him suspicious of her if anything.

"…and your mother cuts your hair and you like being alone, and show offs make you frustrated… and… you're also _very_ tickly" Severus raised his eyebrow at that last bit.

"It's true" Lily said self-assured. The two had come a good way now; they had just walked past the cute ice cream parlour Lily had seen yesterday.

"I admit your knowledge about me is what normal people would consider creepy"

"But you don't?" Lily asked. Severus seemed slightly amused.

"No, a bit interesting perhaps, but not creepy" He stepped aside in the small alley behind the restaurant to let Lily get past with her bike. When Lily had parked the bike she was a little disappointed to see that Severus had already entered without her.

Day two at the restaurant was actually harder than the first for Lily. While she knew the routine better, the pub was overflowing with guests and when the lunch hour finally came Lily was a sweaty mess. She had managed to stain her apron with all sorts of dressings, soups and sauces and felt a bit like a walking palette. She managed to find a towel in the kitchen but it didn't do much good. _"Never mind this, I'm hungry" _Lily walked up to Julia and a guy whose name Lily didn't know. They were leaning over pots and saucepans and their arms moved hectically as they prepared orders. Julia suddenly turned her head around and gestured to the counter.

"There you go sweetie"

"Thanks" Lily accepted a plate of Pasta alla Carbonara happily, with a generous amount of bacon bits. She made her way from the stuffy the kitchen to the quiet staff room, hosting only one other employee. She was surely lucky that day. Smiling she took the seat across from Severus and he looked up, pleasantly surprised. Lily knew that she had to gain his trust before he could help her solve this-she hadn't really figured out how he was supposed to help her though.

"Hi Lily"

"Enjoying your lunch?" Lily asked politely. Severus couldn't help thinking that a girl like Lily really shouldn't talk to him; she was way out of his league. What was he thinking anyway? She was just a Muggle after all.

"I suppose" His innate shyness stopped him from elaborating more on the topic and the room fell silent. To break the awkward silence Severus started sloshing his pasta around on his plate, leaving trails of sauce. Suddenly, he was seized by this silly idea… This silly, stupid, hopeless idea…

Lily suddenly rose from her seat and took her plate.

"Well I should go back. You better got too or you'll have mountains of dish to deal with later"

Severus Snape stood up too, he couldn't let the thought go but before he could say or do anything Lily had left. Why did this girl he had seen for the first time yesterday evoke such a different set of emotions? Normally he wasn't nervous. Awkward for sure and definitely scared at times but never hand sweating, word stumbling nervous.

* * *

The very next day Lily biked to work in her top mood yet. She felt that she had somehow won Severus over, if only just a tiny bit. She chose to take the small detour by Severus's house, but it seemed he had left already. _"Strange, he must be very early then" _Lily thought and to tell the truth she wasn't all that keen to go in and make investigations. She remembered clearly the fresh bruises Severus had tried to hide from her when they were little. A naïve little girl, she had thought him terribly clumsy to get those marks. When she was a few years older she had come to understand exactly how those bruises were made. And what's worse, that she hadn't been able to protect him. She had always insisted on them doing something, telling someone, but Severus wouldn't trust anyone with it, anyone but her. So she had carried the weight of the painful secret, forever torn between her desire to help and loyalty to her best-friend. Lily felt a little ashamed at once. _"Carried the weight of the secret, huh?" _Severus had been the one who suffered, not she. When they came to Hogwarts, things hadn't gotten any better, with Potter and Black tormenting him as good as every day. It made Lily so angry. Hogwarts was supposed to be his sanctuary, the one place his father couldn't find him, and then he had ended up with those two idiots bullying him instead.

Lily was already far past Spinner's end and when she finally reached "The Tired Miller's Pub" it was she who was early. There was no trace of Sev, and the place hadn't even been locked up. Lily sat down on the ground, soiling her newly washed jeans. She wanted to ignore the turmoil inside her, the churning of her stomach, but she couldn't. She had failed her best friend! Lily had always thought that she had done the right thing, putting her foot down firmly but instead of making Severus think twice he had been thrust to the other side, right into the arms of Avery and Mulciber. She felt guilty now but she knew that she had always carried in her a little shred of guilt, multiplied each time she saw Severus with his new best friends.

Oddly enough, to her comfort was the fact that her actions had made her very lonely. No matter how hard she tried to make it work with her roommates she felt different. She couldn't understand their talks about boys and clothes or even teachers and grades. She wished she could change it all but it was too late now. Maybe this strange world was her punishment? No, now she was being silly.

When Mr Lesley appeared and let Lily in she felt like a zombie. She put on a fake smile for her boss and thought about how all her positive energy had escaped her. The others showed up shortly after, but she avoided them all. Especially Severus. The only one she couldn't get quite rid of was Nigel but he didn't need much response to keep chattering. Lily didn't think she had ever met somebody who talked that much. Slowly, but ever so surely it was driving her mad.

Avoiding Severus proved much more difficult than she had originally thought. When she fetched napkins she bumped into him, when she wiped the tables his gaze was on her, and even now when she was grabbing a few minutes of air outside he appeared carrying a bin bag. A bottle broke inside the dumpster when he threw the bag. Severus faced Lily and she knew avoiding him any longer wouldn't be possible.

"So Lily ehrm… Hi" He scratched his neck.

"Hi"

"I was wondering if you wanted to talk"

"We are talking right now" Lily said curtly. _"Don't be like this Lily, don't take your guilt out on him"_ As compensation she gave him an encouraging smile, which was far more than he needed.

"Sure, but I meant, talk somewhere else, maybe later" He broke their eye contact now.

"Okay…"

"Great! There's a place round the corner, they specalize in desserts. Don't know if it's good though, do you want try it?"

"I'd love to"

* * *

"You've only been here a couple of days and you've already got a date!"

"It's not a date exactly" Lily's cheeks burned. She wasn't going out with her sort-of-best friend, was she? Surely, Severus didn't think of it as a date...

"Right" Moira said skeptically. "So, what're you wearing?" Lily hadn't given it a thought.

"This dress maybe?" Lily held up the dress from Slughorn's party.

"A tad too overdressed if it's not a proper date, might be giving off the wrong signals" Moira reasoned.

"Oh" Lily realized that that was pretty much all she had. She could of course go in jeans and a top, what was she thinking! It was just Severus anyway. Just old Sev…

"I've got something that might work" Lily looked up at the overly excited girl. "I'll bee back in a minute"

Lily sat down on the bed. Her reflection in a cloudy mirror caught her eye. Was she nervous about this? She had all reason to be since she had to win Severus's confidence to have any hope of everything becoming normal again, but was there something else too?

"Here it is" Moira had snuck up on Lily and was now holding a nice black dress. It was a typical summer dress but in a more Gothic fashion. In another colour that would totally be something Lily would wear, and maybe sans the metallic details. Lily sat down on the bed. _"This better not be a date"_

Author's note: Thanks for reviewing :)

I was not expecting Lily to feel that guilty for what happened with Severus. Overall I think people can be very harsh on her, I'm sure most people would be upset if one's best friend expressed sympathies with people who think one is filthy and inferior.


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